The featured character is a minor one--The Finch--but for whatever reason I connected with him right away, then there was an RP group and I wanted to play him, then I wrote this. This version is a little different from when I first posted it on my closed blog, in that it's cleaned up a bit.
Enjoy! And don't forget to check out C.B. Cook's blog.
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The Finch wandered the park, hoping to distract himself. Why couldn’t he remember anything? It hurt almost as bad as getting hit with a truck. Not that he remembered having any such experience…
“Mathis?” The lightly accented voice sent a shiver through him. He turned. A lady with long hair and a surprised expression timidly approached. She had a death grip on the lapels of her jacket. “Mathis, is that you?”
He blinked. “Yes.”
“Oh, thank goodness! Where have you been?” She rushed up and bear-hugged him.
The Finch just stood there, arms awkwardly by his side. “I’m…I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”
The lady drew back but kept her hands on his arms. Her expression varied between cold shock and…was that fear?
“Don’t remember me?”
“No, I don’t. What’s your name?”
She took a few steps back, her hand to her mouth. Tears brimmed in her dark eyes. “Oh, oh, oh…”
The Finch wanted to cry himself. “Who are you?”
“I’m, I’m…” She choked, and the tears fell. Through a muffle of emotion, he heard her say, “Eva.”
He held his breath for half a second, hoping. No memories, or even feeling, surfaced. He exhaled his earlier apology.
Eva cleared her throat, laying her hand at its base. “You don’t remember me? At all?”
He shook his head. He must have some previous connection to her, though; he wanted to cry with her, hug her, something. “Do you want to talk?”
Eva nodded furiously, pulling her coat tight. She sniffled. “There’s a bench there.”
The Finch instinctively put his arm out. Eva gave a gasping laugh. “At least you’re still you.”
He helped her to the bench and winced. It was so cold. That didn’t seem to bother Eva. She leaned back and glanced at him nervously. “I…I’m not sure where to start…but, I’m your girlfriend.”
The Finch nodded. He could see that, even if he couldn’t remember it.
She relaxed a little bit. “We didn’t do everything together, but quite a few things. Skating, collecting, your usual hobbies…and a few weeks ago, you stopped responding. I was worried sick, literally. My mother had to come over and stay with me for a few days. Then I got a text from you—or your phone, at least—saying to come to the park.”
The Finch put his elbows on his knees. “It wasn’t me who sent the text.” It might have been Jen…
What should he say next? What could he say next?
Eva laid a hand on his arm. “You wouldn’t happen to remember what it was you wanted to tell me before you…vanished?”
He shook his head.
“What happened?”
He half-opened his mouth, then stopped. What could he tell her? IDIA hadn’t told him much, about either the accident or his relations. They had said it was too soon. “I got into an accident at work.”
“But I checked the hospitals! And how can you get amnesia from unloading produce?!” Eva gripped his arm and gave him a little shake. He must have given her a negative look, because she abruptly let go and hunched over. “Sorry.”
He was going to say, “It’s alright,” but stopped himself. It wasn’t alright. Not at all.
Eva stood. “Maybe it would help if…if we went for a walk? Where we usually do?”
The Finch rose. He supposedly had the afternoon off. May as well make the best of it. “Yes, please. I’m afraid you’ll have to lead the way.”
Eva looked like she was going to cry again.
The Finch wrapped an arm about her shoulders. “But don’t worry. I should remember soon enough.” He hoped. It was going to kill him if he couldn’t.
